The car moved steady through the city, headlights bouncing off street signs and closed storefronts. The silence inside wasn't awkward, it was firm. Alexa wasn't the type to chat.
Lucian leaned slightly against the window, watching buildings pass. After a while, he glanced at her again.
"How long have you worked with Crystal?" he asked.
"Long enough," she said, eyes forward.
He looked down at the dashboard, then at the steering wheel. "This your car?"
Alexa didn't respond.
Lucian hesitated, then tried again. "You got any advice for me… when I get there?"
This time, she turned her head. Her face was blank, but her eyes made the message clear. "Mind your own business. Be quiet. Don't speak unless spoken to. And—yes—how could I forget: don't ask stupid questions."
Lucian started to reply. "I—"
"Don't speak at all," she cut in. "Just get there, hand over the box, say what you were told, and walk away. That's it."
He swallowed the rest of his sentence.
Alexa turned her attention back to the road. "Let's practice that silence now, okay?"
Lucian leaned back into the seat and kept his eyes on the road ahead. For the next few minutes, he didn't say a word.
Lucian sat quietly, running through what he needed to say once they got inside.
Clubs weren't his scene, not now, not in his previous life when he was older. Back then, he never had the money or reason to step into places like this.
The thought of what might be waiting inside made his stomach tighten.
The silence between him and Alexa stretched on, but he didn't mind.
It gave him time to take in the car's interior. The seats were spotless, not a single stain or scratch on the leather.
Everything smelled fresh, like it was cleaned after every drive. Whoever Alexa was, she took care of her things.
The car slowed and turned into a parking lot. Neon lights reflected off the hood as they rolled toward the bar's entrance.
Music thumped faintly from behind the building's walls, a low beat that vibrated through the air.
Alexa parked and cut the engine. "We're here," she said, unbuckling her seatbelt without looking at him.
Lucian glanced out the window. A couple of people were smoking near the entrance, their laughter carrying across the lot. He tightened his grip on the box, steadying his breath.
"You ready?" Alexa asked, finally glancing at him.
He nodded once. "Yeah."
Lucian stepped out of the car with the box in his hands, feeling the weight of it more now than he had before.
He turned toward the driver's side and caught Alexa watching him, her elbow resting on the window frame like she hadn't moved at all.
"You're not coming?" he asked.
"Do you want me to babysit you?" she replied flatly.
He opened his mouth to answer, but she cut him off.
"I know what Madame said… but do you want me to baby you, hold your hand, speak for you? Just go in there, look for a man with a white beard. Don't talk to anyone else. And for your sake, be respectful. No matter how you feel, no matter who offends you."
Lucian nodded. She was right, even if the tone stung. He didn't need a babysitter.
But he had hoped for at least a walkthrough on his first job, something to make this feel less like being thrown into a pit.
He turned to face the bar again. The door wasn't far, but it felt like a long walk. Music pulsed from inside, the bass deep and steady.
The couple outside had moved on. No one else stood between him and the entrance.
He took a breath, adjusted the box in his grip, and walked to the door. It wasn't locked.
He pushed it open. The smell of alcohol, sweat, and faint smoke met him immediately.
The lighting was low and colored, muted reds and blues swept across the ceiling like waves.
People were talking, laughing, moving to the beat. No one paid him any attention.
Lucian kept his eyes forward, scanning faces. Most were young, loud, or distracted. He walked slowly toward the bar at the far end, where the light was better.
Then he saw him, seated alone at a high table, nursing a glass of dark liquor. White beard. Black jacket. Eyes that tracked the room with quiet sharpness.
Lucian approached carefully. His steps didn't waver, but his pulse picked up. The man glanced at him once, then returned to his drink.
Lucian stopped at the edge of the table.
"This is for last month and this month," he said, setting the box down. "And next month… there won't be any more deliveries."
The man didn't move right away. He took another sip, then finally looked up.
"You're new," he said.
Lucian nodded once. "Yeah."
The man eyed him for a few seconds longer than felt comfortable, then leaned forward slightly.
The man turned slightly and glanced at the younger guy standing a few steps behind him.
"This new generation, huh?" he said, not hiding the irritation in his voice. "No manners. Just walks in, doesn't even say hello."
The guy behind him burst into laughter like it was the funniest thing he'd heard all week. It was loud and exaggerated, the kind of laugh meant more for show than anything real.
Lucian didn't flinch. He didn't smile either.
The man leaned back and looked at him again. "How about a drink, huh?"
"I don't drink," Lucian said simply.
The man didn't respond. Instead, he grabbed the wrist of a passing waitress.
She looked young, probably no older than Lucian, wearing a tight black shirt and moving like she had a dozen tables to handle.
"Get him something strong," the man said. His tone wasn't a suggestion.
The waitress nodded without question and walked off.
Lucian looked at the drink still in the man's hand. It was nearly empty.
He wasn't sure if this was still part of the delivery or something else.
The man leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table.
"You delivered the box. Good. You said the message. Good," he said. "Now you sit."
Lucian looked at the stool across from him.
"Sit," the man repeated.
He pulled the stool out and sat.
The man studied him for a few seconds. "What's your name?"